1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a device for feeding medication into plants and in particular to a self-contained medication capsule for delivering a medicant to the phloem layer of a treee of the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Trees are susceptible to a variety of diseases and deficiences which must be treated with a medicant in order for the tree to flourish. Examples of prior art devices for such treatment are set forth below.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,706,161 discloses a self-contained tree medication capsule, which performs satisfactorily for its intended purpose, that of containing the dry soluble medication until the tree sap dissolves sealant material forming part of the capsule. Thus the capsule does not include any frangible material, but on the contrary utilizes a hard plastic shell which contains only a dry mixture.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,683 proposes a method for injecting a liquid agent into a tree wherein a cartridge containing the liquid is hammered into the tree so that it fractures upon impact. But the cartridge is only half-way inserted in the tree so that upon fracture much of the liquid agent is wasted on the surface of the tree. This patent also requires a special tool for holding the cartridge and driving the cartridge into the tree; furthermore, another particular disadvantage is that the cartridge remains protruding from the tree leaving the tree bore open to permit insects to attack the interior of the tree.